China halts military and climate talks with US after Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan

In retaliation for a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan this week, China says it is breaking off or suspending dialogue with the US on issues including climate change, military ties and anti-drug efforts. Beijing also imposed sanctions on them.

The measures announced on Friday are the latest in a promised series of steps designed to punish Washington for visiting the island it claims as its own territory, and forcibly annexing it if necessary. China objects to the self-governing island having its own obligations to foreign governments.

For the second straight day, China deployed warplanes and naval vessels into the Taiwan Strait as part of its largest live fire military exercises ever against Taiwan, reports CBS News’ Ramy Inocencio.

China will “suspend talks between China and the US on climate change” and cancel two security meetings and a call between military leaders over Pelosi’s “disregard for China’s strong opposition and harsh representations,” China’s foreign ministry said on Friday, according to Agence France. To press.

The official Xinhua News Agency said on Friday that fighter planes, bombers, destroyers and frigates were deployed in six zones off the coast of Taiwan in so-called “joint blockade operations.” On Thursday, state media said China’s People’s Liberation Army has deployed more than 100 warplanes, 10 warships and a nuclear submarine.

Before the sanctions against Pelosi were announced, she told reporters in Japan that the Chinese government will not dictate who can travel to the island.

“They may try to stop Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places. But they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us from traveling there,” Pelosi said.

She later added, “We will not allow them to isolate Taiwan. You’re not sticking to our itinerary. The Chinese government doesn’t do that.”

After China’s overnight actions, the White House has summoned Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang to make it clear “Beijing’s actions matter to Taiwan, to us, and to our partners around the world,” said John Kirby, the country’s strategic communications coordinator National Security Council statement Friday.

“We have condemned the PRC’s irresponsible military actions, which run counter to our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Kirby said. He added that the White House has made it clear that “nothing has changed in our one-China policy” and that the US “is prepared for whatever Beijing decides to do.” We will not and do not want a crisis.”

“At the same time, we will not be deterred from operating in accordance with international law in the seas and skies of the western Pacific, as we have been doing for decades — to support Taiwan and defend a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Kirby added.

Pelosi is the senior US acting politician to have visited Taiwan in 25 years since Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich visited in 1997, Inocencio reports.

This week’s military exercises are being viewed by experts as a rehearsal of a possible future invasion of Taiwan, with China circling the island with precision-guided missiles in six areas along the coast, Inocencio says.

Xinhua said on Friday that fighters, bombers, destroyers and frigates were deployed in the six zones in so-called “joint blockade operations.”

The military’s Eastern Theater Command also fired new versions of missiles that it said hit unknown cross-strait targets “with precision.” These included projectiles fired over Taiwan into the Pacific, military officers told state media, significantly compounding China’s threats to annex the island.

On the sidelines of a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Friday in Cambodia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that China’s targeting of Taiwan military exercises, including missiles being fired at Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, represents a “significant escalation” that he is calling Beijing to asked to give in.

Blinken said Pelosi’s visit was peaceful and did not represent a change in American policy — a “one China” position, recognizing the government in Beijing while allowing informal and defense ties with Taipei — and accused China of using the visit as a “pretext.” , to step up provocative military activities in and around the Taiwan Strait.”

He said the situation prompted “vigorous communication” during the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, attended by both he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, along with ASEAN countries, Russia and others.

“I have reiterated the points we have made both publicly and directly to Chinese counterparts over the past few days, that they should not use the visit as a pretext for war, escalation, for provocative action, that there is no possible justification.” for what they have done and urge them to stop these actions,” he said.

Blinken did not sit down with Wang but said he had already discussed the possibility of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan with the Chinese foreign minister before it happened during the Bali meetings, making the US position clear.

Pelosi received a euphoric reception as the first speaker of the US House of Representatives and the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years.

Despite the aggressive Chinese response to the visit, Blinken said the US also would not change its “commitment to the security of our allies in the region” and that the Department of Defense had ordered the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group to “stay on station.” in the general area to monitor the situation.”

“We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” he said. “We will continue to conduct standard air and sea transits across the Taiwan Strait, consistent with our longstanding approach of working with allies and partners to maintain freedom of navigation and overflight.”

Haley Ott and Sara Cook contributed to this report.